


Beginning of Goodbye

by Marishna



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: College, Fluff, M/M, Oblivious Stiles, Pre-Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Worry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-29
Updated: 2015-03-29
Packaged: 2018-03-20 04:51:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3637380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marishna/pseuds/Marishna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles doesn't think Derek understands how to be a functioning adult without help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Beginning of Goodbye

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt "beginning of goodbye" at 1_million_words on LJ.

Derek didn't notice it at first, that's how easily he let his guard down around Stiles. Or maybe how sly Stiles had become.

Either way, it took him well into July before he realized what Stiles was doing.

Little things like inviting Derek to go to the grocery store with him, under the guise of shopping for a pack activity which would normally mean a lot of bread and sandwich meats or stuff for enough nachos to feed an army battalion. 

Instead Stiles asked him to pick out fresh fruit and veggies, prompted him on how to pick the best ones. Rambled about the best time of year to get the best produce. Same in the meat section, about how to select the best cuts of meat. Mumbled under his breath about keeping everyone's heart healthy, regardless of their supernatural abilities.

Derek pushed the cart while Stiles went on and on about how marketing and "corporate voodoo" guys were to blame for the layout of a store and that all he had to do was skirt the edges to buy what he needed without falling into a pit of money suck. 

Then it was the laundry thing. Derek didn't have an extensive wardrobe and he hated having to replace anything when it inevitably got torn or stained. So Stiles brought his own laundry over to Derek's building, under the pretense that the set at the Sheriff's was broken.

He brought his own sewing kit, a little pocket-version, for Christ's sake. Stiles purposely brought some clothes he never even wore any longer just so he could show Derek the best way to mend a hold in his sock or patch up a worn knee in his jeans.

He let Derek keep it with a shrug, said he had a whole sewing kit at home and that was one his dad bought him to go to college with and he didn't need it.

Once Stiles showed up with an arm full of pre-made dinners in August that he said his dad "wouldn't eat" and he figured Derek had space in his freezer for them Derek clued into what was going on.

He let Stiles stack the containers into the freezer, all neatly organized and marked with the date, then pushed him against the fridge once he closed the door.

"What are you doing?"

Stiles' heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean?"

"Why are you training me?"

  "What?" Stiles asked, forced out a laugh. "What are you talking about?"

"I can take care of myself, Stiles," Derek said flatly.

Stiles opened his mouth to reply, then snapped it shut. Opened it again and hesitated. Shut.

"Spit it out," Derek growled.

"Okay, here's the thing. Yes, you can take care of yourself. But there's a difference between taking care of yourself and living... _well_. We're going out of town for college, all of us and you're going to be left here."

Derek started to reply. "Liam and Malia will be here—"

Stiles gave him a _look_. "Really?" 

"Yeah, okay. But Stiles, I've been on my own before. I _am_ an adult."

"Where did you live when you were on your own, again?"

"That was a different time. I was a different person."

"And with our help," Stiles said, gesturing in a circle like he was referring to the pack. "You became that different person. Don't deny it."

"I don't," Derek said freely. "But why does this matter so much to _you_?"

Stiles avoided Derek's eyes and tried to move away from him, to side step around him but Derek stood in his way. "I want to make sure the town's still here once we get back at Thanksgiving and Christmas and next summer and stuff."

"You're only going a couple hours away. Why are you making it seem like this is your way of saying goodbye forever?"

Stiles looked up, eyes wide. "Not forever."

"I know that. Do you?"

"I'm scared," Stiles admitted in a hushed tone.

 "To go to college … or to leave Beacon Hills?"

"Both. And more?"

"Your dad?" Stiles nodded. "And… and me?" Stiles nodded again.

"I promise I can look after myself and not regress. And if it makes you feel any better I'll keep an eye on your dad, too. And I'll even, I don't know, get Skype or something."

"Really?" Stiles asked hopefully.

"I don't want you, or anyone else from the pack, to worry about what's going on back here. You're leaving for a good reason." Derek took a deep breath. "And I definitely don't want you to think this is any kind of goodbye."

"Yeah?" Stiles asked, tilting his head a little, angled towards Derek.

"Yeah," Derek replied and cupped Stiles' cheek. "Maybe a new hello?"

  Stiles grinned and nodded. "I think I can handle that."


End file.
